Formula Backstep

Sean Serrels

Updated August 22, 2017 07:59

In Spreadsheets, Formula Backstep lets you trace cell references in table formulas. Wherever a formula refers to another cell (or a named range of cells), Formula Backstep will jump to that source cell.NOTE: Formula Backstep is only enabled for cell formulas that refer to other cells.To use this feature:

Open the Spreadsheet view of the table.

Click in a cell with a formula.

On the Edit menu, click Formula Backstep.

A dialog box will display showing the full formula, and the elements references by the formula - these may be other cells, named ranges, or variables from your table settings, in the same table or in multiple other tables.

Select the range (or variable), and click the Go To button to jump to the source reference.

Click Return to go back to the initial cell. You can then select and Go To another source reference for that cell, if desired.

Click Close to close the dialog and return to the spreadsheet.

Example:

Cells in the "Cash Sales" row of the Cash Flow table contain references to named ranges in the Profit and Loss table that track sales, and to the background Receivables Detail table that tracks sales on credit, depending on your Table Settings.

The full syntax of the formula displays in the middle of the dialog:

=sales-sales on credit

and the individual elements (a named range called "sales" and another called "sales_on_credit") appear below it, on separate lines.

In this example, highlighting the "sales" variable from the list and clicking the Go To button will jump you to the "sales" range in the Profit and Loss table. In this example, to change the sales data, you would need to go one step further back, to the Sales Forecast table, where you typed in the sales data referenced in these other tables.

NOTE: The software uses variables to keep track of your table settings and customize your tables. Although some of these named variables will appear in the Formula Backstep dialog, you cannot use "Go To" to jump to the source.

For example, a variable named "PS_Startup" keeps track of whether your plan is for a startup or for an ongoing company. You can select that named variable in the Formula Backstep form, but you won't be able to go to it.